Six Reasons Why You Should Go Self-Hosted

A couple of weeks ago I decided to go self-hosted. I originally set up my blog using www.wordpress.com, which in my opinion is the perfect place to start. It’s so user friendly and you can really get to grips with blogging before you decide to upgrade. After a while, I decided I wanted to go self-hosted. Why? Admittedly, my main incentive was so I could upload a pretty theme to my blog. Later on, however, I have discovered that there are so many more awesome features available to you once you go it alone!

It’s Easy-ish (Step By Step Guide)

My main concern was that it sounded difficult and stressful. I read a few articles about bloggers losing content and their website going down for a few hours which did make me wary. However, I am pleased to report I did not experience any such problems. If you are considering it, here is my step by step guide:

Choose your host. There are so many different hosts there with various offers and plans so this can be quite a complex and tricky decision. I asked around on Twitter for recommendations and later made the decision to go with Site Ground. I opted for the 1 year StartUp Hosting and domain plan for £39.60.

They do the technical stuff for you. The best thing about Site Ground is that they will do the entire migration for you for free. All you have to do is give them access to your blog and they will transfer the whole website onto their servers. There is 24/7 support, I spoke to a very nice lady via the chat box who talked me through the process. They suggest it takes 24 hours to complete and there is no downtime. Site Ground will be back in touch once migration is complete.

Preview Your Blog. Before you commit to switching to a new host, you have the option to see your website to check it’s still the same as you left it. To do this you need to edit a file on your computer located in Windows: PC c:/windows/system32/drivers/etc/hosts. You will be sent a unique IP address from Site Ground. You open the host file in Notepad and copy and paste your IP to end of the code. Make sure you restart your computer to update the changes. This will allow you to view your site as it will look before you redirect your domain name. This proved slightly tricky but it worked in the end. For some reason Google Chrome blocked the site as it was unsecured, however, I was able to view it in Mozilla Firefox. Once the change is complete I was able to see it in both browsers without any problems.

Switching Name Servers. Once you are happy with the migration, you are good to go. If you have a domain name through WordPress you can change the Domain Name Servers here: https://wordpress.com/domains/manage/ All you need to do is select the domain name, click on Name Servers and DNS and enter in the two server names included in the Site Ground e-mail.

Checking your DNS. To check your blog has successfully changed servers you can use http://dnscheck.pingdom.com to check that the Name Server is your new host. Hopefully by now your blog has successfully moved to it’s new host and you can start using some awesome features!

Accessing your new blog. If you are a WordPress user, your blog should be easily accessed by typing in: www.yourdomainname.com/wp-admin/

Awesome Themes

Now we come onto the main reason why I went self-hosted – pretty themes! I had seen bloggers using pipdig which allows you to install awesome themes onto your WordPress or Blogger/Blogspot account.

There are so many gorgeous themes to choose from. Eventually, I decided to go for the Ghost Shell theme for a one off payment of £39.It’s so easy to install a new theme! Once you have paid, you can simply download your theme from the pipdig e-mail, In WordPress, go to Appearance > Themes > Add New and upload the file. It’s easy to customize and plenty of help and support available on the pipdig website if you are stuck. Your new pretty blog design is a few clicks away!

Jetpack

One of the first things I realized when I went self-hosted was where has my like button gone! Plus I had no idea if my original WordPress followers were still subscribed to my blog. I didn’t anticipate this issue so I turned to Twitter for some support and found the answer I was looking for. To migrate all your followers across you need to install the Jetpack Plugin.

Once the plugin is installed, go to Jetpack > Settings > Discussion and Migrate followers from another site

To get the Like button back go to Jetpack > Settings > Sharing > Like buttons

Jetpack also allows you to view your stats, back up your site, gives extra protection and monitors any downtime by sending you a handy e-mail.

Monetize Your Blog

So if you have a blog with www.wordpress.com you will know that you have to put up with their ads. And you don’t benefit in the slightest from their advertisements. When you go self-hosted you have more control over what you can place on your blog. I heard that Google AdSense is a good place to start gaining some income from your blog so I set up an account. Google will need to approve you first after you copy and paste a code onto your blog. The easiest way to do this I found was by downloading a plugin called Pluginception and following this step by step guide here: https://www.tipsandtricks-hq.com/how-to-add-adsense-to-wordpress-9023 One of the good things about Google AdSense is it tries to place ads which are relevant to your posts on your site and it seems you have quite a lot of control over it (once I know how to use it properly, I’ll get back to you!).

Security

I had no idea what an SSL certificate was before I went self-hosted. GlobalSign can probably explain it better than I can: SSL Certificates are small data files that digitally bind a cryptographic key to an organization’s details. When installed on a web server, it activates the padlock and the https protocol and allows secure connections from a web server to a browser. Typically, SSL is used to secure credit card transactions, data transfer and logins, and more recently is becoming the norm when securing browsing of social media sites.

You can activate your SSL certificate via Site Ground’s free extra service called Let’s Encrypt SSL. You can also download a plugin called Really Simple SSL which will allow your website to run over https.

Stats

I have just recently signed up to Google Analytics which you can connect to your WordPress site using the Google Analytics Dashboard for WP. From the outset it looks like a very handy tool which allows you to see your blog statistics in great detail. It shows your stats in real-time, gives you a breakdown of your audience (age, gender, location, interests), and user behavior such as the pages they view, for how long and whether they return again. It looks pretty cool if you are into that kinda stuff!

I hope my guide to going self-hosted has been helpful. If you have any questions I am always happy to help. Let me know your experiences of going self-hosted and any other awesome plugins you have discovered. I would love to hear from you!

Thank you for your comment Shevy 💕. I’ll try my best to tell you what I know 😘.

I use WordPress to manage my site and I’m self hosted with Site Ground. The reason I didn’t upgrade to WP Premium is I read that the pipdig themes only worked on self-hosted sites. I wasn’t sure if WP Premium was compatible. It does cost a lot more too. WP Premium is £67 per year and self hosting is just under £40.

I also brought my domain name via WordPress early on so I am continuing to use them, I just redirect my domain to the Site Ground servers. At the moment I have paid £23 for the year so will probably use that then switch across. There is an option on Site Ground to transfer your domain over to them for free for the first year then pay £9.95 per year which is cheaper than the WP plan.

I hope that answers your questions! If there is anything else let me know and I’ll do my best to help ❤️. It is quite overwhelming at the beginning, there is quite a lot to take in 🙈 xx

I really need to get myself into google analytics, I hear so many people talking about it but i’ve heard it can be quite hard to get your head around! I went self hosted around 4 months ago now and I’m so unbelievably glad i did, it has gained me so many opportunities I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise and given me so much more freedom with my blog! I really need to invest in a lovely Pipdig theme when I have the money too 🙂
Alice Xx

Thank you so much for your comment Alice 💕. I’ve only recently set up Google Analytics, I need to spend some time working everything out but so far it looks really insightful ☺️. That’s so true – self-hosting has so many awesome opportunities! I’m so glad it’s been all good for you so far. I would definitely recommend pipdig too – so easy to install with loads of lovely designs ❤️ xx

You have no idea how much I needed this! I’ve been looking to go self-hosted for a while now and had no idea where to start. I researched, asked people, and it seemed too stressful so I gave up. However this is exactly what I needed! And I now have the motivation to give it a go again!
Jas xx

Aw I’m so happy this has been helpful Jas! 💕 If you have any questions I’ll try my best to help ☺️. I hope it goes well for you, it’s definitely worth going for as there are so many awesome benefits ❤️ xx

I am so confused by all of this self hosted etc. As I do the free plan on WordPress, but I know I can pay for it personal or the other paid options.
Is that the same thing? I would love to have a new domain name as my full name. So hoping in the new year I have the confidence to make the plunge. I still not fully up to all the technical stuff. But you definitely explained it well and my main reason for the move would be more freedom with themes and layout also.
Great post, so helpful 💕

Thank you so much for your comment Lauren! 💕 I’m so glad my post has explained things a bit more ☺️. As for a domain name, you can easily get one right now through WordPress without going self-hosted. I paid £23 for the year and you can do it with a free WordPress account. Check out the plan options 😘. If there is anything you need help with I’m always happy to give advice. It can be really overwhelming at the start as there is lots to take in but it’s worth doing in my opinion. I’m glad you found this helpful ❤️ xx

I am the least technical person ever so a lot of this went over my head. Having said that, I went self-hosted from day 1 and have always used GA for my stats and from talking to other people the insights I get from that seem to be far superior to any other ones I’ve seen. Some great reasons here! I definitely think enhanced control and customisation are some of the best reasons x

Thank you so much for commenting Sophie! 💕 It sounds like going self-hosted from the start was a really sensible thing to do ☺️. GA has so much information, I really need to spend some time getting my head around it all. So far, it does look very insightful ❤️. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post 😘 xx

Hey Sophie I hope you don’t mind me asking but why did you go self hosting from the start and how did you make the decision, I’ve been thinking about it lately as I really want to get stuck into the whole blogging thing but wondered if it’d be a better choice to grow my blog more before going self hosted? Or does going self hosted help grow your blog more. I deleted a lot of my posts for a fresh start so I’d post more before going self hosted obviously. Thanks x x

Wow, this is actually the most useful and understable post I’ve read on going self hosted and I’ve read quite a few haha! Since I’m planning on going self hosted soon with siteground, this post answered some of the questions I actually had on my mind, I’m so sure I’ll be back to this if I have any more issues 😄
I’m not quite sure what the ‘preview your blog’ option is for though and is it important to do if I’m going self hosted?
Thanks for sharing this very useful post! 💗💗

Aw Huda! ❤️ I’m so glad you found this useful. That’s such a lovely thing to say 😍. The blog preview is just a thing to do to check your blog looks okay on the new servers before you make the switch permanently. My blog looked fine so I guess it’s not an essential step, just an option for reassurance ☺️. I’m so glad you found this useful, I’m always happy to answer any questions you may have in the future! ❤️ xx

This was such a helpful post Bex! 💕Like honestly I’m glad I started off self hosted…I took so much time researching it and it can still be a bit mind boggling and yayy I use siteground too! They’re pretty helpful but I think I need to get a new theme I’m either having problems with it or my latest version of WordPress and it’s a headache 🤕

Aw thank you so much for your lovely comment Lena! 💕 Going self-hosted from the start is really sensible and saves all the hassle of transferring. Your blog looks great! ❤️ I would definitely recommend pipdig for themes though, so easy to install and loads of pretty designs. I’m so glad you found the post useful ❤️ xx

thank you for this! I am honestly so so so scared of going self-hosted I just think I won’t be able to do it and it will go over my head, be too confusing and a waste of money but it is posts like this that are going to help me make that step! I will deffo bookmark for future reference xx

Thank you so much for your comment Sharnah 💕. It can be a bit overwhelming at the start but just take things one step at a time and you will be fine 😍. I’m always happy to help if you have an questions in the future ❤️. I’m so glad you found the post useful 😘 xx

Great post! I am so bad at the technical stuff of my blog. There are so many things I need to do even though I have a self hosted blog. I am still learning and I will need to check your post for later reference. Thanks for sharing, I will really need help with so many things. 🙂

Thank you so much for writing this, I really don’t know much about the technical side of blogging so this has helped me understand so much better! I am planning on going self hosted in 2018 and feel like I have the confidence to do so after reading this blog 😌 Xx

This was really great and helpful! I still feel a little intimidated just because of how out of the loop I am technology wise. I’m not even sure what a plug in is??? And I got a little bit more confused the deeper into the different plug ins you got! But it did make me feel a LOT better knowing you said the process was easy and you also came from a WordPress! Once I get a good laptop I’m considering going self hosted definitely!

Aw thank you so much for your lovely encouraging comment Rikki! 💕 A plugin is an extra feature you can download and install on your blog. This link can probably explain it better than I can: http://www.wpbeginner.com/glossary/plugin/ ☺️ I’m glad my post made you feel better about the process. I’m always happy to help if you have anymore questions ❤️ xx

I went self hosted and I’m in love! Everything is so customizable, it’s all up to the user. I did it all myself and started from scratch so it was easy. I did my blog design too which I’ve thought about redoing. I will admit since you can check your stats so easily I am a little obsessed with it.

absolutely amazing post! Thank you so much for writing this. It is really helpful for me because I just switched to siteground and redesigned everything, but many of the things you’ve mentioned in the blog, I did not know how to do, and it is great so I’ll be able to work on these things later!

Aw thank you so much for your lovely comment Erin 💕. I’m so glad you found it helpful and brilliant you found out how to do some extra things! 😍 If you have any questions I am always happy to help ❤️ xx

Aw thank you so much for your comment Annie 💕. So glad you liked the post! Site Ground make it so straightforward and are really supportive 24/7. I’d defo recommend them if you decide to go for it ☺️. Also, I’m happy to help answer anything if you get stuck 😘 xx

Fab post, Bexa! I’m self-hosted but not happy with my host so I’m going to investigate SiteGround in the New Year. What you’ve said has confirmed the good things I’d already heard about them and I like that they help with the SSL certificate too. Thank you for sharing! X

Thank you so much for your comment Lisa 💕. Site Ground has been a great host so far, no problems at all 👍🏻. Would defo recommend ☺️. I didn’t even know about an SSL certificate until I went self-hosted and Site Ground made it so straightforward and easy ☺️. I’m glad you found the post helpful ❤️ xx

This post is so helpful! I have considered selfhosted but I was really nervous about it. By your post gave me alot more ease. I’m just nervous about costs and all, cause I’m a college student already in debt 😭 lol.

Aw thank you so much for your lovely encouraging comment Nikki 💕. I’m so happy my post has put you at ease a bit more ☺️. For self-hosting & a theme you are looking at about £80 in total then £40 each year after for the host. I know what you mean about being a poor student though 🙈. If you go for it I’m happy to answer any questions you may have in the future 😘 xx

Aw thank you so much for your lovely encouraging comment Violette 💕. You are so sweet and I really appreciate your kind words ❤️. Jetpack is such an awesome plugin, it makes things so much easier and getting a new theme is always very exciting 😘 xx

The is a great post Bexa💕💕I’ve been self hosted since starting my blog. I love Jetpack, especially the Jetpack site stats. I have google analytics but I find it difficult to navigate and figure out what it all means! Lol I’m working on it though!💕💕💕

Aw thank you so much for your lovely encouraging comment Susie 💕. I also love the Jetpack stats and I agree Google Analytics looks complicated 🙈. I need to spend some time on it figuring things out 😄. Let me know if you discover any cool features 😘 xx

Fantastic post Bexa and Thank you, this is really informative and will help me loads to go self-hosted … I ain’t one for the tech stuff 🙈 Site ground sounds like a fab place to self host, it’s pretty cheap compared to most I’ve seen!
I’ll definitely be checking out the pipdig themes they are lovely!

Hi Bexa,
You started off saying that you were once on wordpress.com. How long do you suggest a budding blogger waiting to get self-hosted? Would you have started out self-hosted had you known about it earlier? I’m asking because I have seen some say that you should build a following and then move rather than just start off self hosted. I’m leaning towards self-hosted now, but I’m struggling to explain the costs when I am currently blogging for free.

Hi Avalon, thank you for the comment. I was with WordPress.com for about a month before I went self hosted. You can still gain WordPress followers when you are self-hosted if you use the JetPack plugin. I think it’s worth investing in if you are looking to work with brands as they often ask for a DA score which is only available for self-hosted bloggers. Hope that helps! 💖 xx

This was SO helpful! I made a total friggen mistake by being tempted by WP Premium when it was on offer 🙁 I didn’t know about self hosting at the time. All the blogs I have overseen for work purposes have already been set up. This is the first time I have set one up from scratch by myself. My plan runs out in March and I’ve already parted with the cash. They don’t allow you to have Plugins which SUCKS. I love using Plugins for the other 2 sites I manage 🙁 I will DEFINITELY be referring back to this amazing post.

I’ve just used your link Bexa! Woooo SiteGround here I come 🙂 I was going to wait until my premium wordpress plan ended but I’m sick of waiting haha! I’m going to email WP to see if I can get a refund. Might as well try 🙂 xx

Aww yay!! Thank you so much for using my link Rach, I really appreciate it! That’s so exciting that you are going self-hosted, fingers crossed you get a WP refund too! If you need any help with anything, feel free to drop me a message, always happy to help! <3 xx

Thank you thank you thank you!! You have literally just answered all the questions I had about migrating followers, redirecting my domain, SSL certificates and installing Jetpack! I have a new site and theme all ready to go but have been really nervous about completing the move – and I feel like I’ve bothered the Siteground support team far too often over the festive break!

Aww, this comment makes me so happy! I am so glad my post was helpful for you and I hope everything goes well! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask, I’ll try my best to help. Good luck and thank you again for the kind words, it really made me smile <3 xx